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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336999">love without being in it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenPencil/pseuds/GreenPencil'>GreenPencil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cas has a birthday, we're so glad!! [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(its not explicitly stated but its hinted at okay), Aromantic Harley Keener, Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Homophobia, I almost forgot, Mentions of homophobia, Oh yes, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Relationships, Platonic parkner, Queerplatonic Relationships, Rain, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, abbie isnt nb in this but i love them/her being nb, but nothing specific, but to a poem bc cas loves this poem so i wrote this, i pretty much yeet that away really fast, im gonna help make that a tag if its the last thing i do, its just very sof okay, like a song fic, poem fic, should i be actually tagging instead of putting my notes in the tags? yes., thats right bros</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:28:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenPencil/pseuds/GreenPencil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harley and Peter being QPPs. That's literally it.</p><p>or: a fic to a poem thats just VERY sof</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(but its mostly just peter and harley being sof as hecc), Harley Keener &amp; Harley Keener's Sister, Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker, Harley Keener &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cas has a birthday, we're so glad!! [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1832926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>love without being in it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/censored/gifts">censored</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>h o w d y cee cee, its me again!!!! i know you like this poem and aro harley so i was like wait one hecking second what if i just- and so i hope this turned out decent at least??? im sure theres some repetition in there bc i wrote this across days and my brain runs in circles but it might still be alright</p><p>i dont have a bunch of notes on this one except watch out for the very brief implied homophobia in here, its there for a second but yeah, watch out. the rest of it is sof i promise</p><p>i will leave a copy of the poem at the end of the fic for anyone who wants to read it</p><p>dialogue, who's she?</p><p>(also i hope i did qpps justice in this im not sure if i did or not)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>there are songs, poems, stories of love</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley grew up in small, homophobic Nowhere, Tennessee. Of course Nowhere wasn’t the actual name but the point carries nonetheless. The small town of Rose Hill consisted of strictly misogynistic, straight and mainly white bastards. His mom and little sister were great, of course, and they disagreed with the views but Macy couldn’t afford to move and lose her job and she was independent so she wouldn’t let Tony help her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony made sure to keep in contact with Harley and make sure he was alright even after he left to save the world or whatever. Harley had been bitter that Tony had left just like his dad but he’d gotten over it. Mostly. Tony was still trying to make up for it in phone calls and texts and gifts so Harley couldn’t complain too much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley thinks he was lucky to have grown up in a place where he could explore his identity. Throughout his life, he’d read books with love and seen it on shows. It seemed like all the songs on the radio were about finding that special someone and falling in love. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley never loved. Romantically, at least. He loved his sister and his mom to death but he’d never had even a crush. He’d confessed to Abbie and she’d whispered back that she didn’t like boys like she was supposed to and found herself more taken by girls. They’d both cried, although neither would admit it, and Harley had called Tony to talk to him about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley was anxious, of course, but there were stories of Tony’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>adventures</span>
  </em>
  <span> with men, women and those that were in between or neither at all. He figured he could trust the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Abbie was gay, or more specifically a lesbian, which Harley knew without needing to ask anyone but he didn’t have any terms for himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FRIDAY, look up everything Harley just told me.” Tony’s voice was muffled and Harley guessed he wasn’t on speaker. He couldn’t hear FRIDAY respond but he assumed she would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley waited, feeling immensely relieved Tony hadn't asked what was wrong with him or something else that made him feel even more wrong than he already did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, kiddo, I’m seeing a lot of the word ‘aromantic’ in what FRI found. It’s basically the lack of experiencing romantic attraction. Do you want me to text you all of this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you mean ‘do you want FRIDAY to text you all of this’, but sure.” Harley quipped, leg bouncing from where he sat on the side of his bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony laughed, “You watch your mouth, young man.” Then, in a gentler tone he told Harley, “I’m sending it over. Let me know if I can do anything else for you, yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay, thanks Tony.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The call disconnected shortly after and Harley spent his time reading through everything. He raced through it, finding places where he fit in the words. This was him. He was aromantic. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>and there is no romance but i love you</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was Harley’s best friend. When Tony had introduced them, they’d clicked instantly. They bickered and argued and they worked perfectly together. They made a solid team. He was sure all the villains Iron Lad and Spider-Man went up against hated how much they talked but it was just part of who they were. It was their dynamic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was late and definitely a time the boys should’ve been sleeping, tinkering in their shared lab after Tony had been dragged off by Pepper who had given them both stern looks and told them not to stay up too late. Harley had come out to Peter a while ago and Peter in turn had come out to him. Harley didn’t expect a return “hey I’m queer too”, but he felt glad that Peter could trust him with that knowledge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter wasn’t like Harley though, because Peter felt romantic attraction. He was bi, he told Harley, and Harley was okay with that and Peter was okay with Harley being aromantic. It wasn’t earth-shattering and it didn’t upend their friendship or anything of the sort but they seemed to work around each other better, quips coming free and easily. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>connected</span>
  </em>
  <span>, in a similar way to the way Harley and Tony were connected but different nonetheless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It only made sense that since it was so late, Peter had less care over his words. “Oh my god, I love you,” He’d gotten out between laughs at some particularly dumb joke Harley had made. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was friendly and easy but they both kind of froze, because maybe neither of them were particularly used to “I love you”s and maybe they were kind of big deals but they did love each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Peter,” Harley smiled at the brunette fondly and he seemed to slump down as any anxieties at having said those drifted away. They were boys and they loved and they weren’t in it and their relationship molded. They got the question “are you dating?” a lot, but the answer was always no, and they were always content because they loved each other and they were enough and it was good.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>what we have is different and </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>What Harley had the most trouble explaining was how they held hands and exchanged forehead kisses and they cuddled all the time and everything they had was platonic, despite the constant teasing from teammates and friends about them dating or whatever. Because they weren’t, it was different. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>often misunderstood</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When Harley did try to explain, he sometimes got weird looks or mumbles about how he just didn’t want to admit he was gay or whatever else. It annoyed Harley to no end because he knew who he was and he’d struggled with it and tried the label for years, and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>fit</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it was him and </span>
  <em>
    <span>no, Karen, he wasn’t going to “find the right person” and suddenly start feeling romantic attraction</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So, yeah, it annoyed Harley. Because was it really such a difficult concept to grasp that one just didn’t want romantic love and was completely content to be in a platonic partnership with his best friend?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>but it is real and i love you</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <span>Peter was there most times, a calming force when Harley needed it. Because Harley was good at sly comebacks and tricky words, but when he got annoyed, he snapped, and Peter could calm him down better than anyone else. What they had wasn’t romance, but they were there when the other needed it, they were there just because, they weren’t in love but what they had was solid and it was the most Harley could ever want. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes the love he felt for Peter was all-consuming and it made him want to cry or just hug Peter and never let the smaller go. Peter would squeeze Harley’s hand and he would be filled with warmth. They knew each other so well, they read each other so well and they’d been in this partnership thing for years and it didn’t count to some but it was everything to Harley and he loved Peter.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are dancing on rooftops,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley found out quickly that Peter loved dancing. He wasn’t always the best but he was energetic and he always smiled while he bounced around or spun with Harley. So whenever Peter dragged Harley into the elevator and then out onto the Tower’s roof at 12 am, Harley indulged him. It was part of what they were, the exaggerated movements and singing like it was the last thing they could do, song lyrics sometimes being declared off into the noisy city below. It wasn’t much, maybe, but it was always enough for Harley.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>running and laughing through the rain,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>One of Harley’s favorite things was the rain. As long as it wasn’t thundering, Peter loved it too. Thunder and lighting overwhelmed his senses but the rain was good, it was soothing and soft and okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Harley would take Peter out into the rain and they would chase each other down the sidewalk, yelling apologies to anyone that was in their way as they got soaked clear through. Peter would go inhumanely fast and Harley would run out of breath. It was totally cheating and it was stupid and Peter just stuck out his tongue and laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They would stop after a while, grinning at each other from wherever they stood. Rain was soft and solid and Peter would make some quip about how Harley was short and Harley would give Peter a look and say that it wasn’t exactly fair, now was it. They were teenage boys and they were foolish and they were stupid and they loved each other so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whenever they got back to the Tower, Tony would give them a disappointed look and mumble about how they were going to get colds before handing them each a towel and dry clothes and shoving them off in the direction of a warm shower. Harley would grin at Peter and Peter would grin back and they’d drip water all over the floor and it was so them, it was perfect. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>stargazing even as fireflies say goodnight.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>New York was not one for stargazing, so despite the fact that Harley would find Peter outside, laying on his back on top of a blanket and staring up at the sky, Harley never really knew what he saw. He’d ask if there was room for one more and sometimes Peter would smile, scoot over and let Harley on the blanket with him. Sometimes he wouldn’t look at Harley before shaking his head. Sometimes he’d just give Harley an indistinguishable look and leave the decision up to Harley. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley was okay with it. He knew that they were close and he knew that Peter needed time to himself and Harley needed time to himself and sometimes they spent that time together and sometimes they really did take it for themselves. But the thing was that the other was okay with it and they understood and they were closer than they were to probably anyone else and they didn’t have to be in love to have that sort of relationship. Because they could stare at the cloudy sky and talk for hours or just say nothing and be in the other’s presence. It was the way that they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are cuddles under a blanket you gave me years ago</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter and Harley loved being physically affectionate. They cuddled during Movie Nights, lingered against the other’s shoulder, gave quick hugs before running off to do something and both understood that sometimes kisses were good, too. Sometimes they weren’t and that was perfect too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter knew when Harley needed comfort in the form of touch, though, and he’d run and grab a soft, big, blue blanket that he’d gifted Harley a while back. He’d hold it up and tilt his head in a silent question and Harley would tug it towards him and once he was situated, he’d lift it up and Peter would climb in beside him and adjust so Harley was within his embrace and they could talk about it, Peter could distract with his endless rambles and stories, they could watch a movie or Harley could just sit and be okay in Peter’s arms. Because even if Peter hadn’t been bitten by a radioactive spider, he’d still feel this safe with the boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are partners without being in love</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They could be vulnerable with each other in ways they couldn’t with the others and sometimes Harley doubted that Peter was content being his partner with the lack of romance of any kind and Peter would just roll his eyes and tell Harley how “for a genius, you’re pretty dumb sometimes” and Harley would be soothed and he’d know that this was enough for both of them and that they were content with each other. He’d know and he would feel secure with Peter because Peter understood Harley’s doubts, and Harley understood Peter’s own struggles, and they were there to soothe the other however they could and it was good.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>because you can love without being in it</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley Keener </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> that boy and he didn’t have to feel romantic attraction to know that and he didn’t need to be dating the boy to know that Peter Parker loved him with every fiber of his being and more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are watching bad movies,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter, I love you and you know that but we’re not watching that again. It’s terrible and I’m sure you know it.” Harley told Peter, staring at the TV where Peter had had FRIDAY pull up the movie of his choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter turned to Harley, “Okay, well, I’m offended. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>may</span>
  </em>
  <span> be terrible but I love it and, c’mon, we’re basically Marcus and Jess, don’t lie to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley rolled his eyes, “Enlighten me, darlin’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s own eyes lit up, “Great! I’ll tell you while the movie plays then. FRIDAY, please start my favorite movie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley gave an incredulous look as FRIDAY started that same movie, “It’s your favorite? Peter, what in the world? Also, I didn’t want to watch it, I just wanted you to explain-”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Shhh!” Peter cut Harley off, settling back against the blond as the opening credits began. Peter started singing along. Harley rolled his eyes but wrapped an arm around Peter, reluctantly turning his attention the torture method Peter was forcing upon him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>hand holding and scary stories,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had the softest hands. When Harley told him this one day, he blushed a gentle pink and told Harley that his were really warm and he liked them. Harley and Peter made it a habit of holding each other’s hands. It was a confirmation that they were both there, both okay, even despite being heroes and going out to save the day, sometimes unsure if they’d come back unharmed. It was an anxiety but it was one though both lived with because they understood it. They understood the need to protect their city, to go out and do good in the world they’d both experienced so much cruelty from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was kind of ironic, considering Peter was Spider-Man, that whenever they’d watch scary movies or Peter would read a suspenseful book or one of the Avengers that didn’t affect his Spidey Senses would startle him, he’d freak out and sometimes go in to sleep with Harley, just to not be alone and to feel safe. Again, it was ironic considering Peter was physically stronger and his senses would wake him up if anything were trying to bring harm to either one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley didn’t really care though. He was content to sleep in the same bed as Peter and he was content to squeeze his hand when he got frightened or had a nightmare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hand holding was good and so nice and real and warm and the scary stories were less so but it wasn’t so bad since they weren’t ever alone throughout any of it. It was like a safety barrier, the two of them could be okay as long as they were together. They both knew it wasn’t true but neither really cared. Why would they?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>staying up for hours just to talk.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was a talker and he could ramble forever about the most inconsequential of things. Despite Peter often cutting himself off with a quick  apology about being annoying, Harley never found it anything but endearing. Watching Peter’s hands flit about as he babbled on and on about something or other was so great to see because a happy Peter was one of the best Peters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another one of Harley’s favorite Peters was the sleepy Peter he saw at late hours of the night. He could mumble about one thing and Harley would mumble back and they could just exist like that, the rest of the tower quiet as they traded stories and secrets - although they barely had any left between the two of them - and laughter and yawns. Sometimes one of them would fall asleep on the other and the other wasn’t far behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes it wasn’t soft mumbles, sometimes it was the shrieking laughter that only came from stupid questions asked at 3 am. It was fits of giggles and stupid comments and dumber jokes. It was knowing neither of them really cared what they were saying or were even thinking about it. It was them just coexisting and driving the rest of the Tower out of their minds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes it was tearful confessions, a hand reaching up to wipe away the tears and arms ensnaring to comfort and remind “I’m here, I’m here”. It was the trust between them, knowing these feelings they were spilling mattered and were important to the other. It was the reassurance of being able to cry in front of each other without feeling stupid and vulnerable while the rest of the Tower remained unaware to the sweet words of encouragement and comfort they shared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But any of those ways, it was them, staying up hours and hours spent giving up sleep in favor of the other’s company. It was how the other never complained, unless it was teasing, and it was just the way that they were. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are doing dishes and being happy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At first Harley knew Peter didn’t see the appeal of doing dishes when there was a perfectly good dishwasher right there. But Harley was a smooth talker and friendly pet names were enough to convince Peter to do the dishes with him. Harley had FRIDAY turn on a playlist of theirs, softer and quieter so it was more the running of water than anything else but the music was still a constant. Harley didn’t know why Peter started seeing the appeal, but he did, and the boys would find themselves jumping at the offer of washing the dishes some nights. Maybe it was giggles, an arched eyebrow, the music playing and the domesticity of it all. Although it wasn’t romance, it was love and it was them just being. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were just two boys and the dishes needed cleaning, who else better fit for the job? Besides, it wasn’t much like anyone else wanted to. So it became another one of their things and it helped both of them calm down and unwind and just exist, working in tandem with the other as they scrubbed. It was how they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are knowing what we have is always enough</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone they knew well was fairly accepting but sometimes they’d find themselves with another addition to their friend group of genius teenagers and the boys would have to explain that “no, we’re not dating, we’re just friends” or sometimes they would say they were queer platonic partners. They’d get a look from some who didn’t understand, maybe, that was like ‘why don’t you just date then?’ and it was frustrating but it was expected and the person always educated themselves and it never happened again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley and Peter weren’t fans of it, of course, but they didn’t much care either. They knew what they were. They knew they didn’t feel any sort of romance for each other - Peter had, at one time, but that was gone - and that they were what they were. There was no changing it and neither of them particularly desired to. They knew they were so much more than just enough for each other and what they had was so much more than just enough for themselves. They were Harley Keener and Peter Parker, platonic soulmates, boy geniuses, superheroes and they loved each other so vividly and intensely and it was good. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>because i love you without falling for you</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <span>Peter wasn’t that “right person” in the way that once they came around, Harley would start feeling romantic attraction, but Peter was Harley’s best friend and even then, that term wasn’t enough for what they were. Harley loved Peter. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> him and he didn’t need to have ever fallen for anyone to understand that what they had was love and it was valid and good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we aren’t a romance or a love story</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They never walked into this expecting a love story. Peter understood things were to stay platonic and Harley wanted to befriend the boy. Peter did too and so they hung out and they built and they bickered and they loved and they became friends. They clicked and their friendship spun out of their hands to blossom at their feet like flowers in spring. They weren’t a romance. They were not in love. They were okay with that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we aren’t just close friends</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They understood they weren’t just friends at this point, but it wasn’t in the “I don’t know if we’re dating or not'' way because they both knew that they weren’t. It was in the “oh my god I love this boy so much please stick by my side forever” kind of way. They were not just close friends, still weren’t in love. They were okay with that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we’re the boundary between,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They were right there, in a place that seemed like it didn’t have a label but it did and they were happy to be there. There were onlookers who wouldn’t understand that the line wasn’t really that thin of a line, that it was large enough for Harley and Peter to stop and have a picnic on. It was large enough for them to live there together for as long as they desired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They weren’t a couple. They weren’t just close friends. They were in between. They were content with that. They were happy with that. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>dancing along it and never being alone</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They danced because it was who they were and what they did. They danced where they stood with each other because running was not enough to capture the happiness of them just being partners in the way they were. They weren’t alone because the other was just a call away or a room away and Harley felt safe and content and love and enough, enough, enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>and we understand even when nobody else does</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, there were questions, yes, people sometimes argued what they were, yes, Harley knew it wouldn’t ever change but if the entire world told him and Peter that they needed to get over themselves and go on a date already, Harley knew what they were and they were exactly as they should be. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>despite the questions and doubt i sometimes feel</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley had doubts over his identity, questions that remained even as time passed and some that were answered. Harley’s doubts were reassured because there were others like him and Peter stood by him and he was valid and okay and it was hard, sometimes, it was, because watching people fall in love and just wondering how that felt without ever experiencing it was sometimes a difficult thing but he didn’t really need that kind of love. He had Peter and he had Abbie and he had Tony and he had so many more and he was okay, even without romance. He was so okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t going to let Peter go any time soon if he had any say. He’d keep rolling his eyes at stupid references, keep worrying when the boy went out to Spider-Man, keep getting suds in his hair, keep kissing the back of his hand and bowing like Peter was royalty he’d come to greet, keep calling him pet names and keep loving him because, really, he was so happy even without romance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Peter were not just good enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>we are always more</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Peter were always so much more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>there are songs, poems, stories of love</p><p>and there is no romance but i love you</p><p>what we have is different and</p><p>often misunderstood</p><p>but it is real and i love you</p><p> </p><p>we are dancing on rooftops,</p><p>running and laughing through the rain,</p><p>stargazing even as fireflies say goodnight.</p><p>we are cuddles under a blanket you gave me years ago</p><p>we are partners without being in love</p><p>because you can love without being in it</p><p> </p><p>we are watching bad movies,</p><p>hand holding and scary stories,</p><p>staying up for hours just to talk.</p><p>we are doing dishes and being happy</p><p>we are knowing what we have is always enough</p><p>because i love you without falling for you</p><p> </p><p>we aren’t a romance or a love story</p><p>we aren’t just close friends</p><p>we’re the boundary between,</p><p>dancing along it and never being alone</p><p>and we understand even when nobody else does</p><p>despite the questions and doubt i sometimes feel</p><p>we are always more</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the poem is called 'love without being in it', by the way ajsdhakds</p><p>i hope yall enjoyed!!! thanks for reading and please leave any feedback you might have, i love comments and kudos</p><p>join the parkner discord!!! (yes i know this fic is platonic but shhh): https://discord.gg/B2K9ggq</p></blockquote></div></div>
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